An Employee’s Story

It’s crazy to imagine that a year ago I was just cleaning kennels and bathing dogs. At that time I was just a kennel tech and took care of pets that were boarding at my previous place of work. At some point I realized I wanted to do more for the animals I saw and that I also wanted to work with a larger range of animals other than just dogs and cats.

The first exotic animal that I ended up actually getting was my rabbit Clover. When I first got her I had no idea what I would do with her, whether I wanted to get her spayed or leave her as is because I was terrified at the thought of having her go through surgery like that. Despite how nervous I was, I set a date and had Clover spayed by Dr. Molly. Throughout the whole day I learned what it felt like to be in the shoes of first time pet owners and how nervous they might feel while their pet is being spayed or neutered. After that experience I now make sure to reassure the owners that while their pet is in surgery they are always taken care of and looked after diligently by the staff. I’m very fortunate that I’ve had good opportunities come my way to help me learn.

If one year ago you would have told me that I would be working four to five days a week drawing up vaccines, drawing blood, and getting to watch surgeries, I probably would have both laughed and been really excited. Working at Northwest Animal Hospital has been the best choice I have ever made. I have been taught about different medications and what they’re used for. I’ve learned how to read fecal floats and how to set up heartworm tests. I’m able to share the importance of heartworm prevention and the benefits of spaying and neutering pets. Thankfully I’m now in an environment where I can learn and thrive. While I’ve come a long way I feel like I still have room to grow and improve.